Talon of the Unnamed Goddess, a Fantasy Adventure Page 13

  "My next oldest and heir to Jaddah, Kamau." He gestured to a slightly younger son to his side.

  "Rhiannon, welcome to the Baqir family, and thank you for getting rid of my older brother. Being second is worse than waiting to be hi'Lord," Kamau said with a warm smile.

  "You are welcome, Kamau."

  "My third son, Awotwi, and your future consort. He will also accompany you to war. The experience will be good for him since he will eventually command your army or that of one of his brothers."

  "Welcome, Rhiannon, my betrothed. May the Goddess bless our union," Awotwi said with a somewhat shy-looking smile. Awotwi looked to be about Rhiannon's age, and I thought that Baqir had made a wise choice in the betrothal.

  "Welcome Awotwi, my betrothed. May our union strengthen the ties between our kingdoms and produce heirs worthy of our fathers and mothers," Rhiannon said. Her cheeks flushed but her voice flowed steady, an heir doing her duty to her kingdom as I was doing my duty to my clan.

  "My forth child, Isooba," Baqir said as a small girl stepped forward uncertainly.

  "Welcome Rhiannon. May the sands bless your reign …you're pretty—" Isooba blurted out to everyone's amusement.

  "And my fifth child, Emerka."

  "Welcome, Sister Rhiannon," Emerka said. The girl tilted her head and looked Rhiannon up and down. "You look different than anyone I've ever seen before."

  "Welcome, Emerka. Yes, my people are somewhat different. Perhaps you can come visit us someday." Rhiannon beamed a warm smile.

  "Rhiannon," Baqir said, "a betrothal contract will be drawn up today for you and me to sign. If you stay for dinner, we could sign it afterward."

  "Excuse me, hi'Lord Baqir and hi'Lady Rhiannon," I interrupted. "Could we hold a war council afterward? I would like your sons, Tafadzwa and Awotwi, and Anton Talon to attend. I would like to set everything in motion as soon as possible. I think we have the element of surprise for a couple of weeks and would like to take advantage of it."

  "Of course. That is an excellent idea." Baqir nodded agreement as he looked from me to Rhiannon.

  Dinner was a quiet affair with only Anton and me as guards. Afterward, Baqir said he was ready for the war council. He motioned for Tafadzwa and Awotwi to join us. The six of us followed Baqir down to a small study, where more of the hot yellow drinks were served.

  "Hi'Lord Baqir, with your permission I would like my advisor, Aisha Talon, to begin the discussion. She planned a campaign we should consider."

  I had discussed my plan with her earlier, but she had been reluctant to present it on her own. Baqir merely nodded to me to continue.

  "I believe we have the element of surprise at the moment, and the enemies' weak points are the towns at Terni, Livorno, and Dassel."

  "Dassel." Baqir, Tafadzwa, and Anton all repeat in shock. Awotwi just sat there with his mouth open.

  "You want to attack Dassel? They would laugh at us from their walls," Tafadzwa said finally.

  "Yes, I want you to take three hundred warriors to Dassel and blockade them. Stay well away from the city and turn back anyone trying to deliver anything. If you operate in small groups, Dassel's commander will send out small patrols to track you down. Ambush them and he'll send out a larger force. You will ambush them. You will fight in the shadows." I reviewed a sheet of notes I had in front of me. "The commander at Dassel can't have much more than two hundred fighters or so left in the castle. He will have to send to hi'Radulf in Savona for reinforcements if you succeed. When he does, the combined armies, you, hi'Rhiannon, and the Talons, will ambush them on the road to Valda. Many may desert, and we will soon reduce his army to a few hundred."

  "What do you think, Anton Talon?" Tafadzwa asked, still staring at me. His dark eyes swept me from head to foot. I stared at the paper in front of me, determined not to blush at his stare.

  "The Talons are taught to be assassins," Anton answered, "and fight in the shadows, although most think of us only as elite guards. Shadow fighting would be the best way to cripple hi'Radulf's army without serious losses to our own forces. We weaken our enemy while we build up our own forces. The Jaddah are excellent at knife fighting and with bows, the perfect weapons for ambushes and fighting in the forests. I could provide you with a few Talons to help."

  Anton paused for a moment, looking at me. "Think of it, Tafadzwa. Over fifty soldiers were chasing Aisha and Rhiannon in the forest. She and Rhiannon not only escaped, but Aisha killed fifteen or more of them in the process. A Talon with duty is a fearful thing."

  "I like it, and hi'Radulf isn't expecting it," Tafadzwa said with a warm smile in my direction. Tafadzwa stared at me for a few moments, and I felt myself coloring. "Shadow fighting."

  "And …" Baqir prompted.

  I took a sip of my warm drink to moisten my throat before I continued. I didn't want anyone to know how nervous making all of these plans in front of everyone and Tafadzwa's looks had me. "Awotwi will accompany hi'Lady Rhiannon with a hundred warriors to Dahab, where she can begin recruiting her Granyan army and join with the Talons gathering there. If they haven't arrived yet, we would go on to Terni. The castle should be poorly defended since sec'Tadzio pulled most of his troops to Savona. Only a token force remains, at best, maybe twenty-five Granyans and possibly another twenty-five Valdans."

  "And …" Baqir said, this time with a laugh.

  "That should require sec'Tadzio to send reinforcements to Terni. By then, hi'Rhiannon's army and the Talons will be in a position to ambush the reinforcements," I said and shrugged. "After that, hi'Rhiannon and the Talons will join you in Dassel awaiting hi'Radulf's reinforcements."

  The plan seemed obvious to me as I had scribbled the numbers down. Radulf must have taken at least five hundred fighters with him into Granya, leaving only two hundred or so to defend Dassel, if the numbers of his army I had read in the past were correct. He must have lost at least a quarter of his force when he ambushed the caravan, considering the ferocity of the fighting and that Varius and his Talon guard were prepared for an attack.

  "Sec'Tadzio couldn't have more than one hundred fifty fighters available at Terni. So with the Valdans' fighters and one hundred from Livorno, hi'Radulf probably has over five hundred combined. When we consider desertions or killing those loyal to hi'Lord Varius, Terni and Livorno can't have more than fifty soldiers defending them, even if hi'Radulf left a small contingent at each." I felt sure that Terni, Livorno, and Dassel were underdefended, and if they were attacked quickly, Radulf and Tadzio would have to rush to defend them.

  "I thought this would take years, but, if your plan works, hi'Lord Radulf and his allies could be dealt a death blow in months. What do you think, Anton Talon?" Baqir asked.

  "I think Aisha's strategy is good. We need to review her estimates of the enemy forces and work out the details. The success of her plan depends upon moving quickly."

  Tafadzwa hadn't said any more, but his eyes had never left me during the entire war council. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, hoping he wouldn't notice as we rose to leave. But his eye caught mine. With his back to the others, he winked at me, and I felt myself blush. I couldn't help the smile that twitched at my lips.

  **I hope you haven't interfered in Raptor Father's plans, Raptor Sister.** Anton signed.

  **As do I, Raptor Brother.**

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Jaddahan warriors to Dassel: Shadow tactics

  Two days later, Anton Talon rode alongside Warrior Tafadzwa, who commanded the three hundred Jaddahan warriors, toward the city of Dassel. Sweat rolled down Anton's face and the back of his neck. He squinted against the glare of the blazing sun as they rode along the meandering track that passed for a road in the desert. Dust rose from every clop of the horses' hooves. With an envious glance at Tafadzwa's protective headdress, he wiped his wet forehead with his sleeve and sighed. They were only a few leagues from the gates of the city, but already he was sweat soaked and grimy.

  "Anton, is your Sister Aisha a normal woman Talon?" Taf
adzwa said. Anton glanced at him out of the corner of his eye in surprise.

  "It is difficult to say, fir'Warrior." Tafadzwa was no longer heir to the Jaddah kingdom; therefore, he no longer deserved the formal title ‘pri.' However, he was now commanding a Jaddahan army and had the rank of First Warrior. "In the past twenty years, I'm only aware of five women having graduated to become Talons. I've met each of them but did not work with all of them. They tend to be more like their brother Talons—they survived by being strong, aggressive, and excellent fighters. Aisha is a fine fighter, like any Talon, far beyond any you will normally meet. On the other hand, she seems to survive almost as much by her wits. Warrior Amadi was an even match for Aisha, but she killed him. Why? Because she understood his weakness, his emotions, and used it against him."

  Tafadzwa turned in his saddle to look at Anton. "When we were planning the campaign, I could almost see her mind working. She amazed me."

  Anton nodded and paused to think over what he had seen of Aisha over the past days. "It is interesting to watch her and other Talons in a room. I can easily see the difference. Every Talon is observant, watching every person for signs of trouble. Aisha not only watches every person but also seems to be constructing ‘what if' scenarios. What if five soldiers burst through the door? What if Third Lord So-and-So attacked her charge? What if—"

  "Don't other Talons plan ahead for what might happen?"

  "Of course we do, but she is better at it and does it more. She escaped hi'Radulf's attack on hi'Varius's caravan because she had planned for any possible type of attack. She escaped the bands of soldiers searching for her by doing the unexpected. She outthinks her opponents. No, fir'Warrior, she is not typical of our Talons, either women or men."

  "But are all Talon women as beautiful as she is?"

  Anton's mouth dropped open. "Aisha Talon is my Talon Sister. Besides, she's very young," he choked out.

  "She's not too young to marry, and I think she is very beautiful. Would she marry me, do you think, Anton?" Tafadzwa wore a slightly sheepish smile. "I can't stop thinking about her."

  "Fir'Warrior, you are a brave man. Give me a docile woman who wants nothing more than a good provider and ten children." Anton interspersed his opinion with snorts of laughter. "Aisha is twenty years younger than me, and I'm riding to war at her bidding. The thought of being married to her frightens me."

  "I'm a hard man to frighten." Tafadzwa waved that idea away. "You obviously think her plan is doable, Anton. I do too, but I'm not sure I understand the tactics."

  "There are only four main accesses to Dassel. Your father has already ordered a stop to any shipments or caravans leaving Zenjir for Dassel. That leaves three routes to guard." Anton paused until Tafadzwa nodded. "The road from Livorno in the north, from Borkum in the east, and from Soumiri in the south."

  Anton stared at Tafadzwa to be sure he was following the idea. "We will stop the traffic on those routes into Dassel, but we will give the impression we are only a few bandits. In response, the commander at Dassel will send out troops to open the roads. We will ambush them. If we can get him mad enough, he may send out a large group. We must kill enough soldiers to make him send to Savona for help. If hi'Radulf feels his castle is in jeopardy, he will send a large force, which we ambush with help from the Talons and hi'Rhiannon's Granyans."

  They rode along in silence for a few minutes. "Anton, I would like to develop specific plans for my sec'Warriors, those second in command. We have four nights before we reach the Valda border. I want to spend the time working out the details of the campaign. My warriors are experienced in a different kind of fighting."

  Anton agreed. He had been taught shadow-fighting strategies at the Aerie, but he had never had to implement them. Anton's career had progressed normally, from guard to small-group leader to senior Talon guarding hi'Lords. He had been appointed recently to the Raptor Clan Council. He had been contracted to assassinate a thief and had led an attack against a rebel group, but he had never fought a shadow war. He wondered if Aisha had conceived the idea, because she was fresh out of training, or it was her natural way of viewing problems. Probably the latter, he decided.

  The dinner that night was hot and spicy, simple, and good. After the meal, the area was cleaned and readied for an early departure. Tafadzwa called his senior Warriors to conference, and Anton included his three Talons since they would advise the Jaddahans. He was sure they knew the theory, but, like him, they had no actual experience. When everyone had settled down, Tafadzwa began.

  "For the next few nights, we will train in the Talon's shadow fighting. Master Anton will demonstrate and we will learn. "

  "We are going to learn together," Anton said. "Neither my Talon brothers nor I have actually been involved in a shadow war. We have the theory, but it must be adapted to the situation at hand, so your participation in this advanced warfare will be necessary. You will implement the plan." He wanted leaders not puppets.

  "The theory of shadow fighting is easy. Like an assassin in the night, you find a target, kill, and fade back into the night. Our objective is to force the commander at Valda to send out a large force and destroy the bandits harassing his citizens. We need to act and look like small groups of bandits." Anton stopped when he noticed one of the third-ranked warriors frowning at him.

  "You mean we aren't going to attack the castle? We have hundreds of warriors."

  "We will not attack directly, tri'Warrior. We aren't strong enough. Even if we succeeded, our losses would be great. No, we are going to set up traps and ambushes where we have the advantage."

  Anton looked around the group and made sure he had their full attention. "We will rob the travelers to and from Dassel in small groups, give the appearance of bandits or Jaddahan raiders. We want to accomplish two things: reduce the number of soldiers guarding Dassel and force the commander to send to hi'Radulf for reinforcements. When hi'Radulf sends guards to the rescue, we will waylay them on the road. Ambush tactics favor us. We are not looking for a fair fight. We will kill ten for every one warrior we lose."

  The Warrior continued to frown at him. "I don't understand."

  Anton looked around the tent to be sure all of them were concentrating on him and went on to explain in detail how they would go about cutting off trade and forcing a fight on their terms. He concluded, "If Aisha is right, hi'Radulf left Dassel severely underdefended."

  Tafadzwa laughed. "You're right, Anton. Aisha would be more of a challenge than most men could handle." But Anton wasn't quite sure he knew what the young warrior meant by that comment.

  After going over the details twice, Anton was sure that the others understood their goal.

  "Let me think about what you've told us, Anton." Tafadzwa stood and signaled the end of the meeting.

  * * * *

  Tafadzwa called an end to the day's march at dawn, much to Anton's relief. The cool morning air was a relief from the intense heat they had ridden through for most of the previous day. Sunrise in the desert was glorious, tinted pink, purple, and gold in the eastern sky. Anton knew he should enjoy the cool while it lasted.

  As he rode near the head of the column of warriors, Tafadzwa trotted up on his bay steed to ride beside him. "I thought much about what you told us last night, Anton."

  "I was sure you would, fir'Warrior. You're an experienced leader, and I have full confidence in your abilities."

  The warriors mouth quirked at the compliment. "Thank you. It seems to me we will need to split our forces up. I don't like to do that for a battle, but I see no other way to gain our goal."

  Anton nodded. "Go on."

  "I'll split the force into three units. Each one commanded by one of my sec'Warriors. They will set up a blockade a few leagues out of Dassel. I'd like you to explain to them the best way to set their traps and strategies to deal with a large force sent from Dassel. While waiting, they will stop anyone attempting to enter Dassel. What do you think, Anton?"

  Anton nodded. "It's a good plan. They can make
their camp well back from the roads and use small groups for the blockade to give the illusion of small bands of disorganized bandits. They'll need to keep a close watch out for when the commander sends out troops against them. And he will."

  * * * *

  Three days after leaving Zenjir, Anton and Tafadzwa with their one hundred Jaddahan warriors watched as their force crossed the West Mystic River and entered Valda about seven leagues north of Dassel. In a valley a half league from the broad dirt road from Livorno, Anton and Tafadzwa would set up a blockade.

  Cezar Talon and the other hundred warriors under a sec'Warrior continued east and south to blockade the road from Borkum and Adorf. At the same time, another sec'Warrior, Vasile Talon, and one hundred more warriors rode to take up a position seven leagues south of Dassel and blockaded the routes from Salda.

  * * * *

  "What now, Anton?" Tafadzwa asked, as the last of the warriors rode out of sight around a distant bend in the road.

  "We scout the land for places to set up ambushes. Most of the warriors will make our camp their base. Next, you can designate several small groups who will patrol the roads and the river. Then we begin our harassment of Dassel."

  * * * *

  Anton and Tafadzwa led a band of twenty, organized by groups of five, and blockaded the road. The Jaddahans had changed from their traditional garb to plain studded leather armor that any bandit would wear. Tafadzwa divided their force into two, and they waited on each side of the road in the forest. The copse of trees on each side of the road gave them a good view from the top of a hill down a long slope in each direction. Several hours later they spotted a small caravan, two merchants, a string of eight mules, and six guards.

  Anton and one group moved onto the road. "Stop! Your mules and the merchandise are ours. You may pass unharmed without them." The six guards charged, but, as they did, the Jaddahan on both sides of the road opened fire with their bows. Four died instantly. The remaining two died when they reached Anton and the five warriors.